


Seeing the world through your eyes

by lichtertanz



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: AU, Angst and Humor, Bodyswap, Dancing Lessons, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, from hate to friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-06-21 02:55:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15548037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lichtertanz/pseuds/lichtertanz
Summary: Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn, has many skills. One of them is to drive Alec Lightwood, the new head of the New York Institute, into rage. What happens when a demon makes them switch their bodies? An AU story about the lessons they learn while seeing the world through each other's eyes.





	1. (Not) Out of sight

_There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it._

_(Edith Wharton)_

 

**_Present_ **

 

It was the third strategic meeting between the Shadowhunters and Downworlders chaired by Alec Lightwood as the recently appointed head of the New Institute. The main goals were sharing developments on both sides and fostering a peaceful coexistence. 

Alec was perfectly aware that the building of real trust would take time after centuries of fighting against each but so far he was satisfied with the progress.

Except one issue. Or to be more accurate one person. 

Although an hour had already passed one chair was still unoccupied and it wasn't an exception: Magnus Bane. Not only had he been much too late for each gathering so far but also his contributions were not helping at all. Most of the time he rolled his eyes after comments from Alec or stated that his suggestions were not worth trying. Of course without revealing why.

Therefore the Shadowhunter felt heavily undecided if the absence or participation of the High Warlock of Brooklyn annoyed him more. Nevertheless he had to find a way to get along with him too, especially since Magnus Bane held one of the most powerful positions in the Downworld. 

Besides Alec didn't give up on someone or something easily. And he had to prove that his mother was wrong with her prejudices. This alone was enough of an incentive to keep trying. 

 

_**A half year ago** _

 

It was no surprise when Alec Lightwood got offered the position as the new head of the New York Institute. Despite his young age of twenty-three he worked endlessly to make missions a success, build better teams and handle conflicts in a respectful manner. Usually he managed to stay calm even under the most stressful and dangerous circumstances too. All qualities which were highly appreciated for such a leading role.

In addition his parents didn't expect anything less regarding the career of their firstborn son. They had promoted him fiercely in this direction since Alec was a child. Or as some would whisper pushed him hard even taking the already rigid norms of the Shadowhunter culture into account. 

His family members were also the first ones who he shared his plans with after taking over the position.  

"So I am going to put Underhill in charge of the diplomatic missions. He has got all the 'Prince Charming' vibes to impress and influence".

Everyone nodded approvingly. 

"And we are going to have regular gatherings with the Downworld every two months to improve our relationships." Alec continued. 

The smile on the face of his mother disappeared before he even finished the sentence. 

"Son you know how proud we are of your achievements." Maryse began. "Therefore don't take any unnecessary risks to mess up this unique opportunity." 

"I appreciate your concern but I have made up my mind." The young man replied still smiling. 

"How can you possible think that this will work? Those meetings will lead to nothing but trouble." Maryse exaggerated. "As time has proven over and over again we don't get along. So it is best for everyone's sake to stay away as far as possible."

"Oh please." Isabelle rolled her eyes. "If you were not stuck in the past so much, dear Mother, maybe you would realize that things have already changed." 

"Stop. Both of you. There is no need to argue about this. The gatherings are going to take place, whether you like it or not." Alec slightly raised his voice. "And now excuse me I am going to bed early because tomorrow is important." He clearly didn't need another annoying family fight right before his official first day in the new position.

 

_**Present**_

 

"Well well well. Looks like I have missed a hell lot of fun so far." Magnus blurred out while sliding down the chair with a teasing look on his face.

Alec tried to ignore his rising anger about how the High Warlock waltzed in every time much too late and wouldn't even apologize for it.   

"We were just in the middle of discussing the downtown incidences. And now that you have finally shown up we..."

 "...can get this party started." The High Warlock replied, still showing no remorse regarding his behavior. Worse he acted like everyone had been waiting just for him.

_Relax Alec. You can do this._

The Shadowhunter tried to reassure himself in his mind before speaking again: 

"There is nothing to celebrate. We were just talking about how to deal with the demonic possessions. Any suggestions from your experience?"

"Duh...there will always be someone who is possessed by something in this world. Don't take everything so bloody serious." Magnus answered. 

_Ugh....Not. Helping. At all. Okay ....breath in and out._

"You know the saying: Work hard, play hard." The Warlock continued. "You should try it. But it would probably make your narrow mind explode, little pumpkin." 

_What the fuck did you just call me?_

Turning deep red the Shadowhunter hated it how the words of the warlock literally got under his skin every time they met. Yeah, Alec Lightwood would have been definitely happier if Magnus Bane hadn't shown up at all. 

He tried his best to stay calm - pushing the echoing remarks of his mother and the High Warlock of Brooklyn aside - and proceeded to share further information about the possessions. 

"So we should be especially careful around the harbor area. Two of the victims told us that this was the last place they could remember before the attack."

All the delegates nodded. Well. Except one. 

"If there is nothing else you want to discuss we can finish now. Thanks a lot for all your time."

 _Obviously not you Bane._  

Of course Alec didn't say that loud. Instead he went to him after almost everybody had already left the room. "We need to talk. NOW!" 

"Oh that eager?"  Magnus winked at the head of the Institute who began to push him into his office. 

As soon as they were inside and the door was closed Alec began to shout:

"Stop it. Stop coming too late. Stop making fun of everything. Stop calling me inappropriate names." He slowly began to lose his patience. Being in his new position was challenging enough and the last thing he needed was an immoral carefree warlock mocking him in front of everybody. 

"And if not? What are you going to do, pretty boy? Break up with me?" Magnus dramatically faked a punch in his chest.  "My poor heart couldn't take it." 

_Such an ass..._

Alec tried hard to keep the building rage inside him under the control. "Is this all a game to you? In case you have forgotten it but lives depend on our course of action. And you as a representative of your people should know that better than anyone else." 

The Warlock rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding me? You Shadowhunters have suppressed and slaughtered Downworlders as long as I can think back. So excuse me if I am highly sceptical about your silly little meetings..."

"Ugh you are behaving worse than my mother." Alec groaned. 

"Take that back immediately!" 

"Why should I? It's the truth." 

"Well talking about truth. You know why I call you pumpkin? Every time I have to deal with your annoying face you look more and more like a disgruntled Halloween carving." 

Alec felt again the rage quickly building inside of him but this time he didn't care and let all his anger break free. 

"Well maybe this is your special warlock trait ... making people unhappy like that. As soon as you show up somewhere." 

Magnus was startled for a moment but then he backfired: "You have absolutely no idea who I am or what I am capable of. But I'm done here. This is all a waste of time, even if I have eternity on my side. Never bother to show up at my doorstep again and ask for support."

"Finally something we agree on, Bane!" At this point Alec didn't even care enough to raise his voice anymore. It was more of a whisper.  

"Too pity it is the last thing we do together. Auf Nimmerwiedersehen, Lightwood!" The Warlock replied harshly and stormed out of the room without looking back. 

 

_**The next morning** _

 

When Magnus woke up he felt very dizzy like his head was about to explode. No wonder after yesterday. Before opening his eyes memories from his fight with that stupid nephilim flooded his brain. Obviously the long walk home hadn't cleared his mind enough last night.

Oh it had been too tempting to tease the strained Shadowhunter but things had escalated quickly into something much more serious.

A real conflict like so many others in the history between their two worlds. 

Maybe he should have acted more sensitive but on the other hand Alec Lightwood was so bloody annoying.

Magnus had his fair share with those kinds of people in his long existence. At the beginning they acted like they really cared to make things better but at the first difficulty they would withdraw. Or even worse stab you in the back with the knowledge they had gained so far.

And the Lightwood family? They were no exception. In fact they were the masters in this game.  

Well he didn't have to deal with them any longer. No more boring gatherings. No more false pretense. And especially no more tensed Alec Lightwood. 

Magnus stretched himself. Today was going to be pleasant. 

While slowly rising from his bed he found himself looking into the mirror opposite from his bed. He shut his eyes and opened them again. 

Once.

Twice.

A third time. 

But the view didn't change. All he could see was that pumpkin face starring back at him and with each moment that passed the expression darkened. 

WHAT THE HELL???

 


	2. Mirror

Magnus Bane was starring in the mirror. And starring. And starring. And starring. Still the image in front of him didn't change. He must be still sleeping. And obviously having a nightmare. There could not be another explanation why Alec Lightwood was looking right back to him.

Like in trance he wasn't able to move until the loud bang on the door interrupted his spinning mind. Panic settled in. Could this be real?

What if this wasn't just a... Suddenly Magnus heard a well-known voice. His own.

"Bane, are you in there?!"

Magnus slowly began to move in the direction of the entrance when he heard himself again: "DAMN IT! BANE. OPEN UP OR I SMASH THE FUCKING DOOR!!!"

"Shut up ...I'm coming". Not only looking like freaking Alec Lightwood but also having his voice made Magnus skin tingle. While opening the door his suspicion was conformed. In front of Magnus was Magnus. Well a very angry version with a mad expression on his face. 

Alec starred back at himself for a few seconds unable to say anything. Finally he broke the silence and shouted with disgust: 

"Didn't we all had a great laugh? Revoke it. NOW!"

"Well good morning to you to or shall I say me?" Magnus couldn't help himself. Despite being in the weirdest situation of his existence Alec Lightwood was still evoking the need to tease him. Just a little. 

Alec grabbed the warlock by the shoulder: "What are you waiting for?" 

"I believe I have made myself perfectly clear yesterday that I don't want to be anywhere near you. So how can you ever think that this has anything to do with me?"

"Well have you looked at me? Or you? Whatever ... Reverse it!"

"Nothing would make me more happy but..." Magnus gathered his thoughts. How could he convince the Shadowhunter that he wasn't responsible for any of it? 

"But what?" Slowly the anger of Alec changed into something worse. Helplessness. 

"I have really no idea what has happened." Magnus replied. This time without any teasing voice. 

"But you are an all powerful warlock." 

Magnus chuckled: "Well that doesn't mean that I am responsible for every magic in the world, darling." 

"But..." When Alec slowly realized that Magnus Bane probably wasn't the reason why he looked like him he ran out of words again. 

 

_**Earlier in the morning** _

 

Alec Lightwood felt a heavy pounding in his head after he had woken up. Stretching his arms he slowly opened his eyes when his glance fell on to his hands. Suddenly adrenalin kicked in. 

WHAT THE FUCK? 

Nailpolish? Did his siblings play one of their weird jokes on him again during his sleep? 

Then there were also shimmering bracelets on his hands which looked familiar. 

BUT... 

_And rings with the letters M. B._

OH NO.

He had seen these hands before but they were definitely not his. They were...

NO NO NO.

A disturbing feeling spread through his body. Quickly grabbing his phone he took a picture of himself. Or to be more precisely the High Warlock of Brooklyn.

SHIT! 

He punched himself hard to make sure he was really awake but besides the sharp pain nothing happened. After laying there for a few moments trying to remember to breath he managed to get up. Driven by a newly fueled anger. Magnus Bane would pay for this sick prank. 

But first he had to leave the Institute without being caught. 

And suddenly the thought that someone would believe that the High Warlock of Brooklyn had slept in his room was equally if not even more disturbing than looking exactly like him. 

 

**_Present_ **

 

"So you can't ...reverse it?" Alec finally mumbled afraid of hearing the answer. On his way to Brooklyn he had been so sure that this was all just a terrible vendetta of Magnus Bane and that he could shortly return to the Institute as himself again. Of course after kicking his ass. 

"Well no I mean yes I...Fuck..." Magnus felt a rush of panic again and his cheeks turned red. 

"Seeing you lost for words is almost worth it." Alec replied half jokingly before thinking. It seemed not only their bodies but also their roles had changed over night. 

Both starred helplessly at each other or rather at themselves for a few seconds without saying anything else. 

And then suddenly Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane bursted into laughter. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looking forward to hear what you think of the story so far and how it will continue. Your comments and kudos are appreciated. Thanks for reading.


	3. Setting some ground rules

For the first time since they had met Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane laughed. Not on their own, not at each other but together about the same issue.

The whole situation was overwhelming and their emotions were running wild. After their hysterical outburst slowly subsided Alec's face got serious again. "And now?"

"I'm not sure. What is the last thing you remember from yesterday?" Magnus asked.

"After the meeting I decided to look for clues regarding the possessions down the harbor district. How about you?"

"I portalled to the Jade Wolf ... so we were in the same area. Maybe the things are connected and the same demon is responsible for this little inconvenience."

Magnus concluded from the bits of information they had collected so far. 

"Why do you always act like this? Do you really don't care what is happening around you? Or with you?" Alec replied with a irritated voice.

Well the peace between them hadn't last long. Magnus didn't know how to react. Should he start a new fight about how wrong the Shadowhunter was?

That he cared. Maybe sometimes too much?

But then again he actually tried to deal with problems often that way. Hiding how they affected him because he couldn't afford to show it in his position.

Although he had a large social network he only considered a few people as actual friends. Those who really knew him and who he trusted enough to share his struggles. 

"Magnus are you still there?" Alec began to worry after seeing the High Warlock of Brooklyn, or actually his own face, lost deep in thoughts. He knew this look.

Sometimes when the world was spinning too fast and he was afraid of crashing down he would look exactly like that.

"Let's get this over with as fast as we can." Magnus finally replied without answering the question before.

"Alright. How?" 

"I will look into my books to find greater demons with enough power to do this. Maybe we can narrow them down." 

"Do you think this will take long?" The impatience of Alec was clearly recognizable in every word and move.

"If you help me searching we should have possible leads until the afternoon." Magnus stated. 

"Of course. I just have to contact the Institute that I am busy with some investigation outside the office ... well actually you should call them."

Magnus nodded. "Right. I don't have any clients today so I or you don't need to reschedule. Which brings me to the next issue. Do we tell anybody?"

The Shadowhunter had thought about this question as soon as he had realized his dilemma. If he would let anybody know about their problem then it would be his siblings. 

But Izzy would highly likely flip out and drown in worries. And Jace? He'd probably make fun of him the whole time. 

"Better not. At least not now. Maybe if we are lucky we can find a solution within the next hours and nobody has to know." Alec answered. "Like ever."

"Well then this is just between us...have you already eaten anything by the way?" 

"No, why?" Alec looked suspicious. 

"It's going to be a long day so I thought we should get breakfast first." The Warlock explained. "Besides my body is used to coffee in the morning. A lot. We shouldn't deal with additional withdrawal symptoms. The situation is weird enough." 

"Right. I saw a small cafeteria down the street. Shall we go there?"

"Not necessary. I'm preparing something." Magnus answered. Pointing towards the couch he added: "Please sit down. I'll be back shortly." 

After Magnus left for the kitchen Alec settled down quickly. While looking around he vividly remembered his first visit which had taken place a half year ago.

 

**_6 months before_ **

 

The Shadowhunter had tried to call the High Warlock of Brooklyn about his gathering proposal multiple times without getting any reaction. 

So he decided to visit Magnus Bane at his home. It wasn't easy to find out the location since he used to move regularly. But fortunately Alec ran into a witch who was eager to reveal his current address in exchange for a rare metal for a potion. 

Normally Alec wouldn't agree to such a deal but since Magnus was an immensely important part of the Downworld community meetings without him seemed doomed from the start. So the new head of the Institute made an exception. 

After knocking at the large black door he waited nervously not knowing what to expect. Moments passed and Alec already considered coming back another time when Magnus Bane suddenly took a step outside.

For a second the Shadowhunter forgot why he was here. He was too absorbed into the extraordinary view in front of him.  

But the initial astonishment quickly disappeared after the Shadowhunter tried to introduce himself properly. 

Before even stating his full name the warlock interrupted him: "Duh I will go to your silly gatherings but stop stalking me".

Alec didn't even made it into the loft that day.

 

_**Present** _

 

Now he had finally the chance to find out more about Magnus Bane. 

Despite his behavior and their heated fight yesterday there was something about him Alec couldn't quite grasp but nevertheless wanted to understand. 

And seeing how a person lived normally gave more away then words probably ever could. 

Gazing around Alec discovered many things he hadn't seen in his life before.

Beautiful artwork through different centuries, probably collected by the Warlock himself at the time, made the loft almost look like a small gallery.

Anybody with an exquisite taste could have owned the apartment. 

Because what he missed were any personal photos. Even he, who was not very sentimental type, had a picture of his siblings and him on this office desk. 

Alec's thoughts were interrupted by a scream from the kitchen. "Damn. Are you kidding me?" 

The Shadowhunter quickly rose to his feet, expecting more bad news. "What happened?" 

Magnus stopped pacing around and looked disturbed at his guest. "I wanted to pick up croissants from a lovely café in St. Tropez but ..."

Alec rolled his eyes scolding himself for getting anxious over nothing. "St. Tropez? We have hundreds of places just around the corner." 

"Trust me after tasting Marie's and Pierre's sweet delights you wouldn't trade it with anything else in the world. But you're missing the point..."

"What is it?" The Shadowhunter indeed couldn't follow. 

"Normally I just have to snap with my fingers..." Magnus started. "It doesn't matter if it is from France or Iceland or Japan. Usually I can summon every food within seconds." 

"So?"

"Well it seems..." The warlock hesitated to continue but he felt like he had no choice: "My magic is gone. Either disappeared or stuck with you. I'm not sure what is worse." 

Alec starred at him for a few moments not saying anything. But then suddenly a grin appeared on his face. 

"Wait wait wait. So you are saying that I have your powers too?" It was very exciting one. 

Magnus had never witnessed this side of Alec before and to be honest the last time he had felt that way was literally almost half a century ago when Freddy Mercury sang "Don't stop me now" to him before anybody else.

Being reminded of this version of himself made him tear up. He didn't know if he should laugh or cry, especially at the prospect of having no magic left in this foreign body.  

 

 

 


	4. Shift of powers

"So how do we find out if I have your powers?" Alec asked eagerly while drinking his first cup of coffee this day.. 

"Preferably not at all but it seems we are currently running out of options" Magnus replied.

Trapped inside a different body already felt completely strange but the loss of magic was really disturbing. 

To be honest there had been a time when he had wished for nothing more than this but what this was so long ago.

Nowadays being a Warlock was such an essential part of him that he began to wonder what would be left of Magnus Bane without his powers? 

"Shall I do anything? I mean how did you discover your magic and how to use it?"

Magnus sighed. Childhood memories. Great timing to share those. He had no intention to reveal more of his personal experience.

Especially not to a Shadowhunter who annoyed the hell out of him, even though they made some unexpected progress in their communication. 

But just because they had shared some laughter it didn't mean that they wouldn't want to kill each other again fiercely in their next conflict.

And Magnus was sure that this moment would come sooner than later. Especially since Alec's constantly nagging questions seem to hit accurately some issues he normally tried to avoid with great compassion.

"I think we should focus on the books first" he finally stated which led to a very disappointing look on Alec's face. .

Despite the awkward obstacle they had to overcome the Shadowhunter was fully aware that this was a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity to find out more. 

Not only about Magnus Bane but the Downworld in general. Insights which would hopefully be helpful in his agenda to secure more peace. 

"Alright. But before we reverse this you have to show me at least a little bit how to handle your magic powers if I really have them." The Shadowhunter tried to negotiate. 

"Yeah whatever...follow me to the library." Magnus mumbled, his normally vivid and graceful movements were replaced with slow pace. He almost felt clumsy in this foreign body.

Maybe he just needed more coffee because he already felt the desire to go back to sleep. Or maybe he secretly still clinged to the idea to wake up again and discover that this was all only a bad dream. 

 

**_3 hours later_ **

 

"So we have a list of five possible greater demons who could have done this" Alec summed up their research results.

Most of the time they had browsed through the antique books silently. 

He was astonished at all the knowledge written down on beautiful old paper, some of it already felt so fragile he was afraid to turn the pages.

It went far beyond the information he had available in the library of the Institute. 

This share of experience was also one of the reasons why he was so determined to make the gatherings between the Downworlder and Shadowhunters work. 

Combining their resources would lead to greater success. Alec was completely convinced of it. 

"How do we proceed now?" The Shadowhunter was curious about Magnus' assessment of their findings. 

"Well I think we should begin with Asasel but we need to be prepared to fight in case things get ugly. So let's see if you actually have my powers and if you can handle them." Magnus answered.

"Cool cool cool..." The grinning was back on Alec's face. 

"You are far too excited about this. Maybe after all it is you who is responsible for this mess." Magnus winked. 

"I swear I would never..."

 "I know ... just kidding. I'm quite aware how focused you are on not breaking any rules." The Warlock quickly intervened seeing his shocked expression. "Alright. Get over here. We begin with something easy. Moving things without actually touching them. Maybe try it with this book."  

"Okay. What do I have to do?"

"Well first of all ... close your eyes. Take deep breaths in and out" Magnus advised.

Alec hesitated. After their previous unpleasant encounters he wasn't sure if he could trust the warlock but as they had discussed before the both of them didn't have much of the choice. 

"Focus on your hands. Begin to feel your pulse. How the blood flows from your fingers to your arms, to your head. Yes. Just like that. Deep breaths. Thoughts may come into your mind. You are aware and let them go. Concentrate again on your breathing and pulse. Do you feel anything?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe a little tingle." 

"Alright. Now think of the book in front of you and how energy flows from your hands to it. Like a wave of light which connects you and the book. And now imagine to lift it off the table. Just a few centimeters. Hold on to the thought of the book, focus on mov..." Magnus couldn't finish his sentence because he was hit be the exact same item right on his nose. 

"Whoaahhh....by the angel ... I mean sorry ... I didn't mean to...but this is sooo great." 

"Well it seems we got our answer. Quite impressively ... ouch" Magnus stated while softly touching his face where the book had hit him. 

Now Alec had again a smile on his face. Maybe the brightest the Warlock had witnessed so far. And then the Shadowhunter had the audacity to wink back and ask: "Can I do it again?" 


	5. Over your body - Part one

"Hitting me? Only over your dead body Alexander Lightwood." Magnus quickly replied still feeling the impact of the book on his nose.

"You are such a buzzkill Magnus Bane." Alec answered with a dramatic sigh. They both starred at each other and wondered what was more strange.

Their heated fighting yesterday. Or these far more lightheaded snippets of conversation.

After a few moments of silence Alec opened his mouth again. "I have always wanted to know what it feels like. I mean having magical powers...not hitting you."

"Oh really? And what do you think?" Magnus looked at the Shadowhunter with curiosity. He was so used to his magical powers that he hardly took any special notice of them anymore. He wouldn't make this mistake again after today. 

"It is weird. In a good way. Feeling this rush of energy through the body. And at the same time it's like being more linked to the world. It's hard to describe." 

"I know." Magnus smiled softly. When he had first discovered his powers this kind of connection had been the most amazing experience in his life so far. 

Before slipping too much into old memories he added: "Anyway I have to prepare some incense blends in the kitchen and other stuff to summon the demon. But we should have all the necessary ingredients here. In the meantime you can practice a little bit more. But watch your beautiful head." The older man smirked back at the Shadowhunter.

"Did you just compliment yourself?" Alec looked slightly amused. 

"Well your head is currently getting a ugly bruise all over the face. Hopefully you can enjoy it all by yourself after we have our little chat with the demon." 

Magnus quickly took a book from the shelf and left the library. 

An hour later Alec heard his voice again:

"All settled." Handing over a note the Warlock continued: "We are going to repeat these words together. From my experience Azazel normally doesn't do much harm if he is not threatened. Still be careful. If things get out of control you can throw all you want at him. Okay?"

The Shadowhunter nodded.  

For the ritual Magnus lit up candles which formed a pentagram on the floor. 

Both started to speak an Old Latin spell when the whole room suddenly turned into a lilac light and Azazel appeared in his demonic glory. 

"Magnus Bane. What a surprise. Still wandering the lonely paths of earth while you could run a whole empire in Edom."

"Actually I am over here" Magnus raised his voice in the body of Alec to get the attention of the visitor from hell. 

"Shadowhunter? By Lilith, are you kidding me?" Azazel dark eyes went wide.

"No. But from your reaction I suppose it wasn't you who switched our bodies?!" 

"Well I have far better ways to enjoy myself. Although I have to admit this idea has its charms. Actually I think Asmodeus will laugh his devilish ass off if I tell him." 

"Who is Asmod(...)?" Alec opened his mouth only to be quickly interrupted by Magnus: "Not relevant. Do you have any idea who could have done this?"

Azazel grinned: "Maybe. Maybe not."

"We don't have the time for your games. Name your price." Magnus answered firmly while Alec stayed silent.

Actually it was quite surprising to see Magnus act so serious even though the gestures were familiar. It was Alec's body after all.  

"What could you possible do for me? Ah of course. Get me back the dark energy stones Camille has stolen from me."

"Really? This day is getting better and better ..." Magnus replied slowly loosing his patience. "Whatever... deal...now names please!"

"I heard rumors. About Culsu. That she is working with the circle to create a special army." Azazel explained, not showing any hints about his view on this prospect. 

"Why would a demon work with the circle?" Magnus asked slightly irritated. 

"Well you can say what you want about Valentine but he has always had a way of unorthodox thinking and forming extraordinary alliances to achieve his goals."

"Wait are you saying that Valentine is still out there?" Alec couldn't believe what he had just heard.

The demon shrugged his shoulder: "Again just rumors but we know the evil is never gone for good. And sometimes it works right under the nose of the clave."

Turning to Magnus he declared: "I think we are finished here. Don't forget the stones. Shall I return greetings to Asmodeus?" 

"Well if he wasn't already there I would say go to hell." The Warlock pronounced. 

"I see the charming attitude runs in the family. Have a blast with the circle and the cave. You never know who is on which side so enjoy the little hide-and-seek." 

The demon grinned and vanished as quickly as he had appeared.  

Silence followed. Long silence.

"Well it would have been too easy to return to normality after the first try, wouldn't it?" Alec stated finally.

"I can't believe that the circle is active again. And the clave should have warned us but if some of them are involved with Valentine too... " 

"Seems nothing has changed since the last time...but let's focus on our main problem for now. If it is really Culsu we are probably stuck a little longer. We need a lot of warlock energy and some very rare ingredients to summon her. Or if we are lucky we catch her while she is doing harm in this realm. Whatever it is we have to be extremely careful" Magnus warned with a serious voice.  

"Define a little longer." Alec demanded.

"I don't know...a week or two" Magnus was not sure how long it would take for Alec to gain enough control over his magic and finding all the ingredients for the ritual.

"We better get started, we have no time to lose, especially regarding the circumstances."   

"Great" Alec muttered more to himself than to Magnus. 

"Let me show you one or two more things which you can to with my powers and then we need a come up with a plan for the upcoming days, okay?" 

The Shadowhunter felt all kinds of emotions rushing through him. The new information was hard to process not only because it would make his job as head of the Institute much more challenging than expected. 

It also left him with new questions about the heritage of Magnus. Considering his harsh reaction Alec would probably not get any answers soon. 

So he decided to let the issue go and focus instead of the task in front of them: "Divulge me in all your magic tricks." 

"You make it sound like I'm some sort of Harry Houdini." The warlock rolled his eyes. 

 

* * *

  

Magnus spent the next hours guiding Alec to use his powers properly, especially moving items around without hitting anyone, and the Shadowhunter created his first portal in his life, even it was just from the living room to the balcony. 

When the sun slowly set the warlock stopped their training session: "You are doing quite well I have to admit, maybe you are sooner ready than I expected."

"Thanks" Alec replied feeling a little overwhelmed but also grateful. Not only about his progress but also regarding the appreciative words of Magnus.  

Maybe after solving their problem they would find a way to continue to interact in a more respectful way. He would need more support than ever if Valentine was really out there plotting another war. His thoughts were interrupted by Magnus again. 

"Still I think it is enough for today. Which leads me to another issue ..." The Warlock hesitated. 

"Yeah, what is it?" 

"Where do you want to spend the night?" 

It was a long day and when Alec slowly realized the impact of the question he blushed and turned red. 

"I ... can ... no ... I mean ... the Institute is probably not the best choice at the moment especially if some of the clave are involved with Valentine ... I can stay at a hotel I suppose. As long as it is not run by any vampires..." 

"Yeah that would be an option or... I can't believe I am saying this... theoretically I have a guest room..." Magnus replied. 

"A guest room?" Alec felt a strange twist in his stomach.

"Yeah you know a place where people can stay and I don't need to share my bed with them" Magnus winked. 

"Your bed..." Alec turned even more red and Magnus began to find the conversation more amusing than he had thought. 

"Special furniture to sleep. Or keep you awake." He chuckled but quickly turned serious again: "Well as I said before we should use our time efficiently. And I don't think it is a good idea if you stroll around as myself without having the full control of my powers. So what do you say?" 

"I ... well ...what?"  

"Are you up to a super creepy and super secret flat-sharing experience where a Shadowhunter and a Downworlder are living under the same roof?" 

Since leaving the Institute in the morning Alec had been thinking about countless possible outcomes of their dilemma. 

This didn't came up in his mind. Ever. Now Alec looked like he was hit straight on his face. Not by book but rather by a big fucking train.

 

 

 


	6. Over your body - Part two

Yeah, that was panic. Breath-taking, heart-running-wild panic.

Just thinking of spending the night in the loft left Alec speechless. 

Besides a few family visits he had been only living at the institute. And slumber parties were not exactly a top priority in the training program ordered by the clave.

Since it didn't seem that Alec would find words soon Magnus tried again: "Relax Shadowhunter, it's not like I am asking you to marry me and spend the rest of your life here."

The Shadowhunter's eyes widened: "What?"

"So you can still talk. That's progress." Magnus grinned. 

Alec tried to calm himself and act more rationally regarding the suggestion. What could happen? Besides not getting a wink of sleep?  

"I think... I think ... it makes sense. But maybe we should discuss more ground rules regarding this... arrangement ...before we actually make a decision."

"Why have I expected something like that?" Magnus sighed but actually thought it wasn't a bad idea, especially since he normally only hosted Downworlders while he kept Shadowhunters as far away as possible from his home. 

"So...we still keep this between us, do we?" Alec gathered his thoughts. 

"Yeah I think it is for the best at the moment, especially since we don't know who to trust. Nevertheless we can't exactly hide in times like this. So I suggest that we pretend being the other one if it is necessary. I will try to postpone all my meeting with clients but sometimes they just show up at my doorstep. What about your tasks as the head of the Institute?"

"Well I have a meeting at the end of the week, a important delegation from Idris. I can't postpone that one. So we have to prepare it together if we want to pull this through. Otherwise only routine stuff and maybe some rescue missions but I can't exactly predict that either." Alec shared more details about his workload for the upcoming days.

Finally he concluded: "Even this is just for a few days I should probably get some of my things over here. Especially my weapons and some clothes for you with less than five colors." 

"Oh god don't tell me that I have to wear more of these 'ready-to-embrace-tourture-and-death' fabrics..." Magnus replied with rolling eyes. 

"Well that's exactly my role and if you want to convince the world that you are Alec Lightwood you better act like that." 

"Or I convince the world that dying shouldn't be your main life goal." 

Alec starred at him: "This isn't funny."  

"I wasn't joking ... " Magnus began to feel exhausted. "Alright alright. We are going to postpone this conversation. Regarding the loft: you can move around freely and use anything mundane but ask before touching my Warlock stuff."

"Speaking of this subject...can I use your shower and can we discuss the other things tomorrow? Using your powers is far more energy-consuming than I have thought."

"Of course. Just a sec." Magnus disappeared for a moment and came back with fresh towels and a light blue satin pajama. "It should fit more or less, since we are almost the same size. The bathroom is just over there." 

Magnus winked while pointing to the second door left. "Don't do anything I would not do to myself."

"Magnus....Ewww!!!" Alec blushed deeply in the darkest shades of red. 

 

* * *

  

Yeah the Shadowhunter definitely needed a shower now. 

After entering the bathroom he decided to quickly remove the makeup on the face first.

Suddenly a younger looking Magnus starred back at him in the mirror. Somehow much more soft and raw at the same time without all the shiny colors on him.

Alec wondered how many people had seen him like that and abruptly felt like he had invaded private space.

Of course taking of the clothes didn't make the feeling go away. Literally the opposite. Alec would never ever admit it loud but the warlock had a ravishing body. But never in his wildest fantasy he had imagined that he would ever ...well ...be really so close to another man and especially not to Magnus Bane. 

He stepped into the shower and let the water mixed with shampoo run down fast. Especially on the intimate parts. He barely touched anything and was out within a minute.  

Wearing the soft silk robe Alec returned to the living room. Despite the circumstances he felt refreshed. 

"Well it seems like we have survived this remarkable day without killing each other. Life is full of surprises, isn't it Alexander?" Magnus greeted him back. He looked tired too. 

"You could say so. By the way thank you". Alec replied.  

"For not killing you?" 

"Yeah that and for teaching me how to use your powers. After...well you know ....we didn't exactly part on friendly terms yesterday."

"That's an understatement." Magnus chuckled. "But you are welcome. This all can feel a little overwhelming." 

"No arguing with that. When did you discover them?"

Magnus hesitated. He knew at that point that they would have to share more knowledge about their lives but he didn't feel ready to give more insights. So he stayed vague.  

"When I was a kid."

"And who taught you?" Alec asked curiously. 

Again Magnus didn't answer immediately. He stood up from the couch and moved into the direction of his bedroom before he whispered:

"Nobody. Good night Alexander." 

 

 


	7. Over your body - Part three

He tried.

He tried really hard to find sleep after the long day. But he failed miserable. 

His own body was literally resting two rooms away from him. His magic, which somehow felt like a smooth cocoon around him, was gone and made him much more open and vulnerable. And his mind kept spinning and spinning.  

So many things from the last few hours had stirred up memories which Magnus would rather completely forget.

Because when his thoughts wandered into the past his heart would quickly follow.

And then he would be confronted with that overwhelming sense of emptiness he usually tried to avoid.

He had tried.

He had tried really hard to fill it up.

With different people in different times and places. 

But in the end it had not only remained.

It had even got worse over time. 

He had a few true friends like Ragnor, Catarina and Raphael who were there to ease the pain and keep him going on. Well discard the 'like'. Because they were actually the only ones. 

But so many other people who he had trusted, who were supposed to love and support him, abandoned him. Whether right from the start of his existence. Or somewhere along the way.

At the beginning he had the hope it was just a coincidence. Of course it didn't make it hurt less. 

Except it turned out to be a pattern which repeated itself over and over again. 

And Magnus Bane had slowly come to the belief that the reason was to be found within himself.

He was simple too much to handle that most people wanted to stay. 

Turning from side to side he waited to find at least some sleep but it didn't came. 

 

 

* * *

 

Alec was tired. He closed his eyes and like last night his thoughts still lingered around Magnus Bane before he slowly drifted away. But it was different this time.  

Over the whole day his anger and frustration regarding the warlock had slowly subsided and what had been a grim image somehow turned from an annoying exclamation mark into something else.

A puzzle with so many contradictory parts that the picture didn't really make any sense so far. But Alec was determined to figure it out. 

Because now something was clear despite their rough start and the difficult situation they found themselves in:

Today could have been a thousand times worse. And this meant it was not as hopeless as he had assumed twenty four hours ago.

And It was definitely enough reason to keep trying to get along with the High Warlock of Brooklyn tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

When the Shadowhunter woke up hours later he found himself laughing. 

This was definitely the weirdest dream he had ever experienced. He and Magnus Bane living under the same roof because a demon switched their bodies.

His siblings would die of laughter if he tol...wait why was this blanket so soft? And golden? His linen was plain white. This was not his chamber.

Which led to only one conclusion: Oh no. They would really flip out. 

Alec rose from the bed nervously realizing that everything actually had happened. He wondered if Magnus would wake up with the same disbelief. 

Since it was very early he left the guest room and moved as silently as possible towards the balcony to catch some fresh air.

But there in the morning sun he discovered the Warlock already with a cup of coffee. 

Magnus also looked surprised to find Alec not asleep anymore and greeted him with a small smile. It reached almost nowhere: "Morning."

At least his body had gotten enough sleep during the night. The Warlock thought to himself, because the Shadowhunter seemed well rested.

"Morning. How are you?" Alec replied wondering about the dark rings under the eyes in front of him. 

Magnus shrugged his shoulder. "You know the saying ... what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." 

Alec was unsure what to answer. He sensed that something was odd but if Magnus didn't want to tell more he wouldn't push him. 

Instead he changed the subject: "So I have been thinking...I like to return the favor." 

Magnus looked confused: "What favor?"

"You have been a really great teacher yesterday and if you are interested I would show you how the runes work. I mean if you don't know it already." 

Suddenly the face of the Warlock lit up: "Are you always that eager with your steele in the morning?"

Alec blushed again although he was slowly familiar with the humor of the Warlock which included quite explicit images. 

"Magnus! That was a terrible line. Even considering that it was coming from you."

He had never been very comfortable talking about intimacy in general and also not in that lightheaded way. Still in this moment Alec felt relieved that the mood of his host seemed to improve slightly. 

"Sorry but not sorry. This was far too intriguing not to go there." Magnus grinned. "But honestly I would like to find out more about your runes. It would be a nice distraction from not having my powers and it would probably be more than handy if we end up in a fight."

Alec nodded. "Excellent. I just get myself a coffee too and then we can start."

The Shadowhunter disappeared in the kitchen and Magnus found himself again wondering about his unusual guest and the strange but also somehow intriguing learning partnership which began to flourish between them.

When Alec returned he had already his steele in one hand. "How about I explain first what kind of runes you can find on my body?"

Magnus agreed and before Alec could continue the Warlock removed his satin top.

It felt awkward to see his own chest naked knowing that it currently gave shelter to another person's soul.

"Uh...well...okay let's start with this one. This is a deflect rune. It helps to fend of incoming blows in fights."

The Warlock listened to the descriptions of the ancient signs mixed with a few personal experiences from Alec. Actually the runes seemed to mirror much his life journey.

"So you wanna try out one? It can sting a little, especially if you are not familiar with it. Truth be told your powers feel much softer and enjoyable."

Magnus smiled. It wasn't the first time someone had praised his magic but it almost felt like a personal compliment, since Alec was literally connected with a genuine part of himself.

_Softer and enjoyable._

He liked the sound of that. 

"If you don't have any preferences I would suggest a stamina rune." Alec continued. "I use it during an exhausting fight or when I am very tired."

Magnus looked at him with an expression which was hard to read. 

_It almost feels like he wants to make me feel better._

"Alright." The Warlock agreed.  

Alec handled over the steele and he began to trace the old symbol. 

"Wait." Without further thinking the Shadowhunter reached out and grabbed the hand of Magnus to guide it. "More like that." 

The Warlock didn't even try to keep a straight face. "Ugh...you are right. It stings." 

"And we are already done. Are you okay?" Alec tenderly touched the drawn rune. 

_Why the hell does he care like that?_

Suddenly Magnus felt not only a rush of new energy but also guilt for how he had behaved towards the young man before. Maybe after all he was wrong with his prejudices about the Shadowhunter and Alec actually was different or at least tried to be. 

"Yes, everything okay. Thanks." 

 

* * *

 

After spending the morning practicing magic and drawing further runes together the clock slowly turned to 1 am.

This seemed to be the best time to get back to the Institute because most of the staff would be out on a break. 

They discussed using a portal direct to the private room of the Shadowhunter but if anything went wrong they would attract a lot of unwanted attention. 

So they decided to use the conventional mundane way of simply walking in.

Due to the gatherings it wouldn't look too suspicious if the new Head of the Institute and the High Warlock of Brooklyn were seen together.

They had also agreed on a cover-up story sticking as much as possible to the truth: 

Since the demon possessions had gotten worse they decided to put their differences behind and intensify the cooperation. 

This wasn't a lie but also didn't gave away that they now shared more than anyone would hopefully ever suspect.

Before they left for the Institute Magnus gave Alec new clothes from his closet to wear which led to an annoyed stare: 

"Ugh...how many buttons do you have here? I mean ...yes you have all the time of the world but still?" 

"As you said yourself, dearest Alexander, if we want to convince everyone that we are each other we have to act like that. So stop pouting."

The Shadowhunter sighed and moved towards the bathroom. "Whatever...I will be back in a sec and we can get my stuff." 

 

**_Twenty minutes later_ **

 

The second turned almost into half an hour, when Alec finally got out agin. 

"Lightwood what the hell have you done???" Magnus felt like the air was kicked out of his lungs seeing his face so ... so... so...he didn't even found the word to describe it.

"You said I should look like you." Alec replied. 

"Exactly. So what happened?" 

"Well I haven't use make-up before." The Shadowhunter defended himself. 

"Duh obviously. Let's remove this monstrosity again, otherwise we don't even make it through the front entrance."

Magnus shoved Alec through the hall back inside the bathroom and immediately grabbed some cleaning tissues. 

"By the way seventeen." The Shadowhunter mumbled.

"What?"

"Your shirt has seventeen buttons." Alec explained which led Magnus to chuckle. "You really counted them? My my you are really something else Alexander Lightwood." 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dearest angels, after the 'news' from yesterday I know it is a very difficult time now. Maybe the hardest of it so far. But I have hope because when people put so much of their heart and soul into something it will come back. If you want to talk you find me on twitter: @ShadowhuntersOE  
> Thanks for reading my story. Let me know what you feel about it too.


	8. Over your body - Part four

"Okay sit down. I will remove this disaster and then we start right from the scratch" Magnus told Alec pointing towards the small chair right in front of the mirror.

"Hey it isn't that bad." Alec replied still trying to defend his first makeup attempt while plumping into the seat in front of him.

"You are right. It is so much worse. It is like all the coal of Edom has melted over my face. Now close the eyes and I will get rid of this screaming nightmare."

Alec hesitated a few seconds but gave in - knowing that both couldn't afford it to get exposed over shiny glitter put on wrong. 

Nevertheless he felt tense being so close to someone. When they practiced drawing runes together he had almost automatically touched him before giving a thought. 

But now he was hyper aware and nervous. It only got worse when Magnus gentle began to touch his face with cleaning tissues and removed every trace of the makeup.

Alec was used to skin to skin contact during his training sessions and fights but this time adrenalin kicked in for a whole different reason. Softness.

And the Shadowhunter had not idea how to handle it.

"Okay the worst part is over. Now I will put on some lotion and afterwards pay attention how it is done the right way. Maybe you enjoy it as much as throwing around my magic energy."

"That is something I highly doubt" Alec whispered. "By the way since when have you been wearing makeup?"

"I don't know...I have always loved colors. My mother drew the most beautiful paintings and I was so fascinated when I watched her as a child. Sometimes she would help me to draw something myself and color accidentally sticked to my hand or face. And then we would laugh and for a small moment of time everything else was forgotten..." Magnus abruptly stopped talking wondering how on earth he had come to this point to share one of the few good memories of his childhood to a Shadowhunter.

Alec's eyes were still closed. Maybe it was one of the reasons why he could feel the rush of different emotions so strongly. Actually it was the first time he heard Magnus talking about something he seemed to genuinely care about. Suddenly this wasn't only the High Warlock of Brooklyn who Alec wanted to have as a strategic ally. This was simple a person Alec somehow liked to know more about, regardless of their business positions. Sensing a discomfort of Magnus after sharing such a private memory Alec decided to tell him a story of his own childhood in return. 

"When I was nine my family attended one of the biggest wedding ceremonies in Idris and I spent the hours before with Izzy. And since we were bored my sister decided to steal the nail polish from my mum and painted her and my fingers. After she finished with the first layer she added little stars, angel wings and hearts. It was adorable to see her so focused. But of course the colors were not only on our fingertips but also on our hands and clothes. You should have seen our parents when they discovered us. Until this day I have never seen them so pale like in those moment. Both were screaming but it was no time left to remove that piece of art. So they strolled around the whole wedding making up excuses for our behavior to every guest they interacted." 

Magnus grinned at Alec even though he had still not opened his eyes. He felt better now after Alec had trusted him with a personal memory too. 

"Oh I would have loved to see the faces of Maryse and Robert Lightwood. Maybe I'll remind them of this incident during the visit of the delegation on Friday."

Hearing that Alec's eyes opened widely: "No way Magnus Bane! There is too much at stake." He protested. But after a few seconds he also added: "Even though I have to admit it is a little tempting to mess with them. Sometimes they are a real pain in the neck with their 'no-mistake-policy."

Magnus looked at the Shadowhunter and maybe it was in that moment when he realized why Alec always seemed to be so eager to have control over everything that happened.

"Hmm...we keep that scenario in mind for later. Close your eyes again. At least I can put up some glitter there" Magnus brushed softly over the eyelids and added quickly different shades. 

"Well well well. That was what I am talking about. Have a look and express your eternal gratitude for saving both of our butts."

When Alec opened his eyes he couldn't help but stare. Magnus Bane had outdone himself. Still he answered: "Where is the difference? It looks just like before." 

After he earned a deadly serious stare from Magnus he quickly admitted: "Alright alright ... I surrender. You are truly more gifted than I will ever be in this compartment."

They continued to look at each other and their reflections in the mirror. Magnus rested his hands on the shoulder of Alec and both couldn't help but smile softly.

"I'm sure your mum would be very proud if she could see you like that and how amazing you are with colors." Alec concluded.

As soon as he had spoken the words he felt how the hands on his shoulder tensed and grabbed him more tightly. The smile of Magnus had disappeared and his eyes were suddenly shut. Alec wondered if he had overstepped some unknown boundaries. He may had only small glimpses into the life of Magnus Bane but he got the feeling that growing up with magical powers probably was far more difficult than he had imagined. 

"Magnus...Are you okay? Have I said something wrong?" 

 

 


	9. Not too difficult

Magnus put the makeup away and stated: "We should go."

Alec felt the lingering tension but decided it was not the right time to push further. "Okay...do you think I can portal us at least near the Institute or should we take a cab?"

"Well only one way to find out...the worst that can happen is that we land in Marrakech."

Seeing the terrified look of Alec he quickly added: "Don't worry. You are a natural...just take deep breaths and concentrate on the location where you wanna go."

"Okay. If you say so..." Alec wasn't convinced but decided to trust the judgement of the warlock and indeed a few seconds later a portal opened lightening up the whole loft.

Again he reached out for the hand of Magnus before stepping into the portal. But this time it was a conscious decision in case something went wrong. 

The Warlock hesitated for a second but the danger of being separated was indeed smaller when they stayed close together. 

So he took Alec's hand into his own: "Ready."

It lasted only a few moments but in both minds the same thought surfaced. Holding on to each other didn't feel so wrong after all. In fact it felt uplifting and grounding at the same time.

Alec traced it back to the fact that he simple hadn't experienced anything like that before with another man.

Magnus told himself it was just intense because he wasn't used to do such things anymore.

Both came to the same conclusion: it had nothing to do with the other person. _Nothing_.

When they landed safely a few streets away from the Institute Magnus noted: "Told you. Well done." 

He let the hand of Alec slowly go but the evoked sense of regret didn't make any sense.

"Actually I wanted to portal much closer but at least we are not in some African desert." Alec replied still memorizing where the Warlock had touched his hand.

"So we just enter the Institute, avoid talking to anyone, get your stuff from your room and portal back to my loft as quickly as possible." Magnus summed up their plan. 

"Yep. Should be not too difficult since most people are out on missions or breaks this time."

* * *

 

"Alec where have you been?" Izzy ran up to her brother and gave him a soft hug which left Magnus speechless for a second.

He had always wondered what it would be like growing up with siblings and from the embrace he figured out that Izzy cared about Alec deeply. 

Focusing again on their plan Magnus finally answered: "I told you we had to check something..."

"We?" Izzy now looked at the second person. "Magnus Bane... That's surprising after... Well never mind. What's going on between you two?"

"Nothing." both blurred out at the same second. 

"Ha...you should work on that... Otherwise people will think you are hiding something." The young woman smiled at both. 

"No we are not." Alec replied getting more nervous. 

Suddenly three other people surrounded Magnus. 

"Ah Alec. Can you look at the timetable for the delegation?" Raj asked. 

"We also have to go over the security measurement." Underhill reminded him. 

"Mr. Lightwood can you sign here and here?" Another Shadowhunter requested. 

"Not difficult..." Magnus thought to himself and wished more than ever to be himself and have his powers back.

He began to speak: "Darl..." when Alec punched him quickly. "Alright leave the documents in my office. Thank you. I have to discuss an urgent matter with the High Warlock of Brooklyn. Now." 

Magnus and Alec got strange looks but no further questions. They made their way to Alec's room without another encounter and the Shadowhunter quickly opened his closet.

"My my... So difficult to choose. How about black or black or oh my God is this a dark grey shirt? How unconventional and bold of you Mr. Lightwood." Magnus smirked.

"Shut up and put those in the bag. I will get my bow." Alec stated and moved towards his bed.

"I see always ready to shoot."

Alec rolled his eyes: "Magnus! NOT helping!"

After gathering a few things they made a quick stop at the office and were almost out of the building when they heard Izzy's voice again:

“Not so fast, dearest brother!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. It is a short update but I hope you enjoy it. Looking forward to your comments and if you have any ideas you like to read about which Alec and Magnus experience during their body swap, let me know.


	10. Surprises

"Mr. Bane would you excuse us for a second? I have to talk with Alec in private. Also in an urgent matter." Izzy smiled and pulled her supposed brother into the direction of her room.

"No need to worry. ...What could possible go wrong... besides everything..." Alec thought to himself and began to pace back and forth the hallway while his sister and Magnus disappeared. 

"Alec." Izzy looked softly at her brother.

"Isabelle." Magnus gave her shy smile. 

"Alec." Izzy repeated now reaching out for his hands. 

"Isabelle?" Magnus began to feel nervous. Family interactions were not exactly within his comfort zone regardless of being stuck in another body. 

"I know." Izzy finally stated tenderly. 

"You know?"

"Yes. I mean you've taken a lot of efforts to hide it but you don't have to pretend anymore. At least not to me."

Magnus froze for a second until he slowly nodded: "I'm impressed. How did you find out?"

"Small hints. How you look when you think nobody is paying attention... The way you tense... And this morning I found something which confirmed my suspicion. Anyway we will get through this. Together."

"I don't know what to say...thanks...I mean I don't know how long this will take."  

"Hey don't be too hard on yourself. I know this must be extremely difficult for you right now." 

"Well it was a shock first but regarding the circumstances I suppose it could have been much worse...anyway I think it is time that we get your brother in here too." Magnus smiled back at Izzy who obviously was nothing but supportive. 

“What? You really wanna reveal your secret to Jace?“ Izzy sounded surprised. 

"To Jace?" Now Magnus was confused. 

"I mean if you want to tell him I'm here for you too...it must have been exhausting to hide yourself for so long. Especially to him" Izzy softly stroke the hands of Magnus. 

"Well it hasn't been that long." 

"You and your unterstatements...Come on... how long do you really feel this way of being trapped? In your letter I stumbled upon there was no date but from the writing..."

"What?"

"Your feelings for Jace." 

Magnus began to laugh hysterically. "I don't have any feelings for Jace." 

"Hey it is okay. I don't judge you. I mean ... I understand now better why you always say you are not made for and I quote 'relationshit'. But you will get over him."

"BY LILITH! You think Alec is in love with Jace?"

"You're funny. Again talking about you in the third person? Is this a kind of a strange coping strategy?" Izzy looked at Magnus with a mixture of amusement and sorrow. 

"I...this...sorry ... this is all very new to me..." Magnus finally managed to say.

Giving him a hug Izzy stated "I get it. But you are one of the kindest and bravest men I know and I'm positive someday someone will love you heart and soul...well we shouldn't let your new warlock ally wait too long. But we will talk about this again. Okay?"

"Right."

Magnus untangled himself from the soft embrace of his supposed sister and they left the room. Alec was still pacing the hallway when they found him.

"Mr. Bane I hand over my brother again." Izzy spoke with a friendly voice.

"Thanks Miss Lightwood. There are still some things we have to work on. It was nice meeting you." Alec reached out for her hand feeling her familiar warmth around him, even if he was regarded as a stranger.

After saying goodbye to her Alec looked at Magnus: "What did she want?"

"I'll tell you when we're home again."

"Magnus spill it out!"

"Alec...trust me this is the last place where you wanna hear about it. Just portal us back." Magnus answered with a serious voice which made Alec more worried than he already had been. They exited the building and Alec made a new portal in a small deserted street nearby.

Both held each others hands again and the concerned look of Magnus made Alec shiver more than before. 


	11. Speaking about the truth

"So what did Izzy and you talk about?" Alec blurred out impatiently as soon as they were back in the loft.

Magnus hesitated to answer feeling that he should not know anything about the things Alec's sister had told him. And indeed he shouldn't.

"First of all let me say that this will stay between us. I will not reveal it to anyone else. Okay?" The Warlock began flinching his fists.

"You are making me nervous." Alec felt another shiver running through his body. He had never heard Magnus speaking that cautiously.

"So Izzy started talking and first I thought that she knows about our secret but I was wrong. Still she has found out something else."

"Are you always this cryptic?"

"She has obviously discovered a letter." Magnus started to explain. 

"A letter? What letter? Why would she wanna talk with me about a letter?"

"I haven't seen it but the letter is written by you."

"By me?" Alec began to search his memory. "The last letter I have written was to the delegation. And before..."

"No...nothing like that. A private letter." Magnus added being more and more uncomfortable. "About...your feelings."

"My feelings?"

"...about Jace. Your sister found a letter about your feelings for Jace." Magnus finally revealed the main content of his talk with Izzy but the burden which he felt didn't disappear. Quite the opposite. When he saw the shocked expression of Alec it got heavier.

"What? ...You are lying." Alec replied with a shaken voice although he knew that Magnus told him nothing but the truth.

"I'm so sorry but I promise your secret is safe with me."

The Shadowhunter raised his voice: "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Please calm down." Magnus tried to reach out to him.

"This can't ...no... get away from me." Alec quickly turned around and rushed towards the entrance of the loft. Without looking back he clashed the door and was gone within seconds. 

Magnus stood there unable to move for a few seconds. He remembered how he felt the first times he had talked about his own sexuality without hiding. How the pain and anxiety had stayed through the following years and only slowly turned into confidence and pride. He imagined how long it had taken in his existence to get there and how short the lives of Shadowhunters often were, not only because of the constant fights they faced on a daily basis. Also because of the dangers and threads within their own society and its rigid norms. Suddenly his heart ached for the young man who had left in panic. 

Magnus thought about going after him but he had no idea where to. He also doubted that he wanted any company. At least not from him.

As the hours passed and the light of the day turned into the darkness of the night Magnus slowly began to panic too.

Alec wouldn't do any stupid? Would he? Without his powers Magnus felt more helpless than ever. All he could do was to wait if the Shadowhunter returned or not.

Having difficulties to breath he decided to go outside on his balcony.

The wind spinning around Brooklyn calmed him down. Not as much as usual but it was enough for him to fall into a slumber on the terrace bench. 

His light sleep was interrupted far after midnight when he heard the front door of his loft again.

He rose so quickly that he felt immediately dizzy and had to collect himself for a few seconds before getting back inside.

Magnus found Alec in his guest room, sitting at the bed and starring onto the floor. The whole body seemed to be smaller like withdrawn from the world.

"Hey. I'm glad you're back." Magnus softly whispered without getting any response.

He raised his voice slightly: "Do you want to talk about?" 

"There is nothing to talk about." Alec answered without any emotions in his voice. 

"Okay. You don't have to say anything. But will you listen to me? Only for a moment?" Magnus asked. 

Alec didn't reply a word. No yes but no no either so Magnus decided to give it a try.

"I ... first of all I am truly sorry that I was the one who Izzy talked to. It is not my place to know but I promise you I will keep your secret safe no matter what happens. Even if this is over and we go back to hating each other."

Alec still stared at the floor not moving a millimeter. There were only traces of the make-up visible they had put on together in the morning and his eyes were red and swollen.

"I wish you had the chance to experience your sister's reaction because you two obviously care deeply about each other and as far as I have seen nothing will change that. Maybe it will even strengthen your bond now that Izzy knows. And although this should be normal I know such a support is still an exception. So I want you to listen carefully what she said."

Magnus took a few moments of silence to dive into his memory.

"She told you that you will get through this. Together. And she held your hands. Like this." Magnus reached out again and although Alec flinched for a second he didn't pull back. Magnus tried to re-enact the scene as vividly as possible. 

"And she said she will be there whatever you decide and that she understands you now better. Why and I quote her quoting you 'relationshit' is difficult for you. But she is convinced that you will get over Jace and it is just a matter of time that your Prince Charming will arrive who will love you heart and soul because you are one of the kindest and smartest humans she knows. And then she gave you the most sweetest hug."

Magnus leaned closer towards Alec.

The Shadowhunter was to tired to fight it so he slowly sank in his arms and let himself feel the warmth of being held safely. 

Alec had hoped that Izzy would be probably one of the few people who wouldn't hate him for his feelings. Hearing all this it made his heart feel a little less broken. 

"But I ... what if..." The young man struggled. Not only about finding the words but also if he really wanted to confess his inner turmoils to the High Warlock of Brooklyn.

Him of all people. Him who he had just wished to never see again a few days ago.

But also him who made him feel less wrong too and not only because Magnus had delivered the words of his sister in such a sincere way.

"What if all the others hate me when they find out the truth? I mean not about Jace. I will destroy that letter as soon as possible so that no one else will ever know...But about me being gay? And what if I end up being unable to love someone else? Or what if I never find someone who wants me? What if I die without even being kissed?  What if I am being kissed and I suck so terrible nobody wants to kiss me again? What if I end up being alone while my sister and brothers raise their own family and I am just the weird relative everybody feels sorry for?" 

Suddenly all his conflicted thoughts which he had bottled up inside for such a long time surfaced and he couldn't stop them from breaking out. 

Magnus just listened while softly stroking his back.

After Alec fell silent again the Warlock whispered: "I can't tell you what the future brings...but if we trust your sister who is smart and knows you better than anyone...the most likely answer to all your solid questions is a no." 

"And if everything else fails I will summon Cupid for you and we steal his bow and arrows." Magnus suggested as an alternative scenario. 

"You can do that?" Alec chuckled. 

"I'm Magnus Bane. Of course I can do it. Besides I might need a little heart-to-heart-chat with himself too if he screws me over one more time." 

"Oh." Suddenly the Shadowhunter found himself curious again about the High Warlock of Brooklyn and his experiences. 

"Well that's a story for another time." Magnus replied smiling at Alec. "How about we get some sleep now and maybe I tell you more about it tomorrow?" 

"Okay." Alec laid down exhausted from the whole day and Magnus tucked him gently in: "Good night."

"Good night." 

Magnus was almost at the door of the guest room when he heard Alec's voice again. It was just a whisper. "Thank you...for not freaking out and everything..." 

"You're welcome." The Warlock replied. 

"And ...well...after I missed my coming out to Izzy ...please at least renounce from sexual intercourse with my body. I would really really appreciate to be there in case it ever happens." 

"I think I can manage that."  Magnus smiled back feeling much lighter in his heart than the whole day.   

 


	12. Secret mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers, it has been a while since I have updated this story but it is still alive. Thanks for your patience. I have also edited the chapters before a little. No big changes, I recommend to read chapter 7 though because it has a rune scene added which turned out to be quite sweet from my point of view.

"Hey." Magnus greeted his unusual roommate with a cautious smile. Yesterday had been rough and the Warlock wasn't sure in which condition Alec would wake up. He didn't ask him right away how he felt because he knew exactly how hard it was to answer the question under such circumstances.

"Morning." Alec whispered back almost shyly. Despite the exhaustion from the last hours he felt somehow more relaxed than he had for a long time. 

Only now he slowly began to realize what it had done to him to keep his feelings so deeply buried inside. 

The tension wasn't gone but sharing his secret with two people and experience nothing but support gave him suddenly more space to breath insight his tight chest.

From behind the kitchen corner Magnus commented: "I made some waffles. Are you hungry?"

"Yes. Please." Alec settled down and watched the warlock prepare two plates with the freshly made breakfast.

Again he found himself wondering how much his life had changed over just a few hours. He knew that he was just a visitor and they would just spend a few more moments like this. 

But he couldn't help it. It felt good and he decided to enjoy it as long as it lasted. 

"So I have been thinking about the dark energy stones Azazel wants to have back. We shouldn't keep him waiting too long. The faster we get this over with the better we can focus on solving our main problem here." 

_Yeah their time together had an expire date even though it wasn't exactly clear how soon._

Alec nodded. "Right. So who's Camille again?"

"She is a vampire leader. Attractive and very charming if she wants something. But don't let her fool you. She is a master of manipulation and and things can turn pretty nasty if you are in her way. And with nasty I mean she will literally use anything and anyone to get rid of you." Magnus explained. 

"Ugh...sounds lovely." The Shadowhunter felt a twist in his stomach. 

_If you knew only the half of it._

"Her hide-out for her personal valuables is usually in the catacombs under the Hotel Dumort. And I think we have two options. Either we try to make an official deal with her or we try to steal them. Raphael could technically help us to get inside but I would rather prefer to keep him away from the frontline." The warlock stated with a concerned look on his face. 

"But you still think it is better to get the Stones without involving her?" 

"If it is possible. Besides she isn't someone who keeps her side of the bargain."  

Suddenly a idea formed inside Alec's mind. "Wait wait wait. What about the Winter summit Raphael told us in the last gathering? It will take place in the Hotel Dumort this weekend if I remember correctly?" 

"Right. Downworld delegates from around the world are going to participate and Camille will probably be busy forming some unholy alliance." 

"See I told you this share of information is going to be useful." Alec stated proudly and although Magnus didn't verbally agree the Shadowhunter saw a small smile on his face. 

"So I suppose I should go there as you? And we use the occasion to get the stones."

"Actually I have turned down the invitation." The Warlock revealed. 

Alec looked disappointed. "Oh. I thought you are all into parties and such." 

"Well not always but I guess I can still tell them I have changed my mind. Or rather you tell them."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan."

They spent the rest of the morning discussing different options and Magnus tried to draw the structure of the building with as much details as he remembered from his visits.  

"To sum it up: I will check out the surroundings during the summit. If it seems possible I portal you in shortly before twelve. And when the fireworks are going off and people are distracted the most we make our move." 

Magnus nodded. "I think this could work." 

"And you really believe they won't recognize that I am just pretending to be you? I mean there are going to be hundreds of participants I don't know." 

"True. But this is also our advantage. Since there are so many guests you will be able to share just a few superficial words. No time for deep conversations." 

"Alright. Then it's settled." Alec seemed to be satisfied with their plan. 

"Oh wait. There is one thing though." Magnus suddenly blurred out. 

The Shadowhunter looked suspiciously at the Warlock not really sure if he wanted to hear it. 

"How are your dancing skills Alexander?" 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looking forward to your feedback. If you wanna talk with me on Twitter you find me here: @ShadowhuntersOE   
> Have a lovely winter and I promise to update the story before the year ends ;-)


	13. Wanna dance with somebody?

"My what?" The Shadowhunter didn't even dare to repeat the word. 

_Maybe I have heard wrong. Please tell me I have heard wrong._

"Your dancing skills.“ Magnus answered, already having difficulties to hide the small grin forming on his face. 

_Damn._

"Uh...I don't have any." Alec admitted leaning harder against his seat like he needed some extra support.

"That's unfortunate." The Warlock replied. "Because at the summit there will be an opening ceremony where everyone takes part and it traditionally includes a dance." 

Alec sighed: "Well in that case we have to come up with a new plan how to steal the stones."

"Don't be ridiculous. It is the perfect occasion and we still have three days."

"Three days?" The young man couldn't quite follow.

"To get you in shape, of course." 

"No way, I'm not making a fool of myself." Alec quickly rose from the chair and began to pace around the kitchen.

"Technically you would make a fool out of myself and I'm willing to take that risk." Magnus said now with a playful smile on his lips.  

"But..."

_Think of a valid reason against it. Think!_

"But..."

_Just one._

"Ugh. Fine. But I'm warning you." Alec groaned heavily. "You better practice that iratze rune because I will step on your feet the whole time."

Magnus couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh this is going to be so much fun."  

 

* * *

 

After changing into a casual trouser and shirt Alec quickly wrote a message to his siblings. He informed them that he had left the Institute early again. In fact he would spend the next few days on the road following a lead regarding the demonic possessions but come back on Friday to meet the delegation. 

It sounded plausible. 

So much more plausible than his first dance session with the High Warlock of Brooklyn. Just thinking of it made Alec's stomach twist. This particular form of bodily movement appeared so utterly useless to him even though Izzy had tried hard to convince her brother otherwise. 

When Alec returned from his temporarily chamber to the living room Magnus had already pushed some of the furniture aside so that they had enough space to practice. 

The Warlock had to grin again seeing his guest leaning against the door like he was just about to chain himself to the wood. He definitely looked nervous with a strong tendency towards panic. 

"Ready?" 

"No." 

"Perfect." 

"I said..."

"I know."

Magnus began to ask him about his previous experience and to his surprise the Shadowhunter had indeed never done this in his life until that moment. "Before we start let me explain a few things about the summit. So the opening dance..."

Alec's eyebrows were about to skyrocket: "What do you mean with opening dance? Is there more than one?" 

"Well... the first one is kind of mandatory for all guests but there is music during the whole ceremony and the attendees are expected to take part in some others too. Especially if they hold a high position." 

"Of course they are..." 

"Anyway the opening is like a mixture of baroque dance and tango if you have ever heard any of those terms." Magnus revealed more details. As Alec shook his head the Warlock reached out for his phone and quickly typed in a few words. "Here. It looks quite similar to this." 

Alec starred deadpanned at the video, then at Magnus and back again at the video before he finally opened his mouth: "No. Nope. Not going to happen." 

"Come on Alexander. Give it at least a try."  

"This is ludicrous." 

"I see. Well I suppose I have to ransack the hideout during some other occasion all by myself then. But I promise to be careful. We wouldn't want your handsome body getting hurt before we can switch places again, would we?" 

"Hey! That is not fair." Alec sighed realizing that Magnus knew exactly what strings he needed to pull to make him move. And it worked perfectly. "Alright...what do I have to do?"

"First of all I will show you some basic steps." The Warlock quickly browsed through his vinyl collection. "Ah ...Vivaldi. Perfect." 

The warlock turned on his record player and the loft was soon filled with alternately upbeat and peaceful piano and violin sounds. 

Magnus smiled: "Okay. Stand in front of me. We both take a bow. You step to the right. I step to the left. See that isn't so bad." 

But after fifteen minutes the Warlock exhaled heavily. "No no no. The other way round."

"Ugh this is torture. I told you I'm not a dancer." Alec answered visible frustrated with the 'progress'. 

"Well if you try to move away every time I come closer this is not exactly helping."

"Since this is clearly not working..." The Shadowhunter made another effort to convince the Warlock that they were wasting time:  "Let's think of another plan." 

"No. Not yet. Let's try something else. To release some of this tension you have obviously build inside." Magnus reached out to the upper arm of Alec and suddenly a mischievous expression lit up his face.

Before Alec could process what was happing Magnus made a move and the Shadowhunter was literally lying on the ground.

"What the fuck?" Alec mumbled while he attempted to gain his balance again.  "I know I have stepped on your toes several times but this..."

"Hit me back." 

"And now you have obviously lost your mind." 

"No seriously...you probably spend a lot of your time training for fights, right? Look at dancing like another form of combat. At least for the moment."  Magnus explained. "Can you summon us two swords?" 

Alec slowly nodded even though he had no idea what Magnus was up to. But everything had to be better than this agony of the last minutes.  

"Excellent." Magnus stated enthusiastically looking at the result. "Your use of my powers is getting better and better." 

"Well at least something is working. And now?" 

The Warlock quickly changed the classical music into modern rock songs and grabbed one sword.

Getting into a fighting position he gleefully winked at his roommate while threatening him at the same time: "Now you are going to kiss the floor a second time." 

Alec picked up the other weapon and grinned back: "Oh you wish. Brace yourself for a hard landing." 

Within seconds their swords clashed against each other and this time the Shadowhunter was completely in his element. Instead of awkward stumbling he moved around with ease.

Instead of avoiding Magnus he consciously reached out to attack him closely. 

But the Warlock was clearly familiar with many combat methods and knew exactly how to push him away again.

After a few minutes of intensive fighting back and forth Magnus began to include some of the steps in his motion, which they had practiced before. 

And although Alec was hesitant first he intimidated him and soon their struggle turned into a playful sword dance.

Both were obviously skilled so no one had ended up on the floor yet. 

Suddenly a idea formed inside Alec's head and he had to suppress a grin. Instead he took a few steps back, leaned his weapon against the wall and glared at Magnus with a strange look. 

The Warlock sank his sword too. "Already too tired Lightwood?"  while the voice of Pat Benatar filled the room.  

 

 

>  
> 
> _When you keep it all to yourself_  
>  _I said, you can't hide on the inside_  
>  _All the pain you've ever felt_

Out of the blue Alec made the most unexpected move: a very gracious pirouette. Which left Magnus staring at him with shocked eyes and made him plunge his weapon. 

>  
> 
> _Ransom my heart, but baby don't look back_  
>  _'Cause we got nobody else_

And then he lifted his body into the air, kicked himself from the wall and made a jump to land exactly where Magnus still stood without moving. 

> _We're running with the shadows of the night_
> 
> _So baby take my hand, it'll be all right_

  

It all happened so fast. But at the same time it felt like slow motion.

 

Before being fully aware of the sudden closeness of Alec Magnus was already pinned down on the ground by him. 

  

> _Surrender all your dreams to me tonight_

 

"Not tired at all. You?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously I got a little inspired and came up with an update much earlier than expected. I have never written a dance scene before so I hope you still enjoy this. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.


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